The Las Vegas-based fighter withstood heavily favored Elijah Garcia’s onslaught during the middle rounds and won their 10-round bout by majority decision on the Sebastian Fundora-Keith Thurman undercard at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Garcia (18-2, 13 KOs), of Wittmann, Arizona, was almost a 4-1 favorite, according to DraftKings, but an inspired Newman rallied in the final three rounds by letting his hands go and exploiting Garcia’s defensive deficiencies.

Judge Eric Cheek scored eight rounds for Newman (19-3-1, 11 KOs), who won 98-92 on Cheek's card. Judge David Sutherland also scored Newman a 96-94 winner, whereas Kermit Bayless scored their highly competitive light heavyweight fight a draw, 95-95.

Newman, 34, has won eight straight bouts since suffering back-to-back unanimous-decision defeats to Genc Pllana and Manuel Gallegos in February 2020 and June 2021, respectively. Garcia, 22, returning from a one-year layoff, was expected to get his career back on track after moving up from middleweight. Prior to suffering his second defeat in his past three bouts, Garcia hadn’t boxed since his debatable 10-round, split-decision victory over Terrell Gausha in March 2025. Garcia lost his previous bout to Kyrone Davis, who upset him by split decision in June 2024.

The 6-foot Garcia’s hazardous weight cut for his fight against Gausha convinced him that he couldn’t compete at the middleweight limit of 160 pounds anymore. Garcia and Newman fought at a catch weight of 172 pounds, because neither fighter saw the need to compete at the super middleweight limit of 168.

Newman, who is trained by Roy Jones Jr., knew he needed to win the 10th round and he let his hands go accordingly in the final three minutes. Garcia pressed forward, but Newman landed most of the flush punches in the last round and left the ring victorious.

Newman was the more active, accurate puncher throughout the ninth round, as well. Garcia was never hurt, but he didn’t defend himself well in those three minutes, either.

Newman landed when he let his hands go during the eighth round, but he was wary of Garcia’s power. Newman nailed Garcia with a right uppercut about 30 seconds into the seventh round, a sign of what was to come in the last three rounds.

Garcia unloaded power punches on Newman during the middle minute of the sixth round. Newman waved him forward, yet did little to halt his attack.

A straight left by Garcia backed up Newman about 45 seconds into the sixth and set the tone for the remainder of that one-sided round.

A hard right by Newman landed with just over 40 seconds to go in the fifth round, but Garcia otherwise controlled it. Garcia opened up with lefts and rights just before the halfway point of the fifth.

Garcia had difficulty landing clean shots on Newman in the first two rounds, but he found openings in the third and fourth rounds. Two right hooks by Garcia landed in the final 40 seconds of the fourth.

Featherweight prospect Bryan Gonzalez stopped Brandon Medina while Medina remained on his feet in the fifth round of a scheduled six-rounder before Garcia and Newman squared off.

Phoenix’s Gonzalez (5-0, 4 KOs), a taller southpaw with more power, landed the harder punches for four-plus rounds. Referee Allen Huggins eventually determined that their fight was too one-sided and stepped between them to halt the action at 1:57 of the fifth.

Medina (7-5), of Morelia, Mexico, didn’t appear badly hurt when Huggins stopped their bout, but he clearly needed a knockout to win, and he hasn’t recorded one as a professional. GALLEGOS RALLIES, BEATS GONZALEZ

Lightweight prospect Kaipo Gallegos overcame a third-round knockdown, regained control and unanimously out-pointed Julian Gonzalez in a 10-round bout that opened the Prime Video prelims portion of the undercard.

Judges Patricia Morse Jarman and Corey Santos scored the fight 97-92 apiece. Judge Chris Migliore credited Gallegos for a slightly wider win, 98-91.

Las Vegas’ Gallegos (12-0-1, 9 KOs) was in control until Gonzalez nailed him with a counter right that sent him to the canvas with 1:02 to go in the third. Gallegos answered referee Robert Hoyle’s count quickly and mostly held his way to the end of the round.

Gallegos regained his composure in the fourth round and generally kept Gonzalez on his back foot over the final five-plus rounds. The 20-year-old southpaw was the harder, sharper puncher throughout the second half of their fight and was never hurt again.

Gallegos’ impressive comeback from real trouble enabled him to send Gonzalez (16-2-1, 12 KOs) to a second straight defeat. Gonzalez, of Reading, Pennsylvania, hadn’t fought in the nine months since Jason Sanchez beat him by split decision in an eight-rounder June 27 at 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. Keith Idec is a senior writer and columnist for The Ring. He can be reached on X @idecboxing.